MCKENZIE—Huntingdon senior Kade Pearson is known for his football skills, but he also has some skill on the basketball court.

Pearson's three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter on Tuesday pushed Huntingdon ahead of McKenzie en route to a 56-44 win over their county rival and a third straight regular season district title.

“I think at some point tonight he thought he was on the football field for a moment,” joked Huntingdon coach Jonathan Kee. “When he is on, he gives us some perimeter shooting to bust those zones when we can't get the ball inside. But what he really brings us is his senior leadership by his presence on the court and especially in the locker room.”

Huntingdon (17-6) earned a bye in the first round of the District 11-A tournament and will play the Clarksburg-Bruceton winner on Tuesday.

“That was a nice win against a rival," Kee said. "I was real proud of the way our guys finished the game. I have coached the guys for six years (including middle school), and it is just really sweet to see them having such success now. We start the second season now though with a bulls' eye on our back.”

Pearson's 12 points all came on four 3s in the second half. He hit two in the final three minutes to keep McKenzie from getting back in the game.

“I wasn't happy with my first three quarters, but they started falling finally in the fourth," Pearson said. "And when they start to fall, it feels like you could throw it up backwards, and they will fall in. The hole in the goal looks a whole lot bigger the more they fall in.”

This is Pearson's second regular season title during his senior year as the football team won the Region 6-1A championship on the way to the state quarterfinals.

“We have accepted the title of 'scrappers,' and so we pride ourselves on fighting and scrapping for every inch that we get, particularly when we are down," Pearson said. "That is how we stayed in this game – our defense, rebounding, blocking out, physical and mental toughness.”

A Mr. Football finalist this past fall, the senior quarterback missed almost half of the basketball season with lingering football injuries.

When asked to compare the two sports, he said, “I am making the most of my senior year. I love how loud and close the crowds are in basketball. I like the physical part of football, and I am much better at football but I am enjoying playing basketball for the first time since eighth grade.”